


Mama

by HeatherGiesbrecht



Category: Constantine (2005), Crimson Peak (2015), War Horse (2011)
Genre: Blood and Gore, Brother/Sister Incest, Emotional Manipulation, F/M, Gen, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Incest, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Murder, POV Alternating, Sibling Incest, Time Skips
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-07
Updated: 2015-11-07
Packaged: 2018-04-30 08:19:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5156744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeatherGiesbrecht/pseuds/HeatherGiesbrecht
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She couldn't let Mama separate them, Mama had to die.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mama

**Author's Note:**

> Thomas and Lucille's lullaby lyrics are taken from the Crimson Peak Novelization.

Lucille clutched the butcher knife as she listened to Mama splashing about in the tub. Yes, she had murdered Papa, she had still had Thomas's help. As even though she had done the poisoning and drugging, if Thomas hadn't made that cut in Papa's saddle strap then Papa never would have died when he fired his rifle. Could she do this by herself ?

Again, that in whisper in her mind. "You can't let her separate you, if you do then you will never see him again. Do you understand ? Not ever !"

An image of Thomas rose in her mind's eye, curled up somewhere with no one to love him, no one to care for him. She couldn't let Mama separate them. Mama had to die, it was the only way. Her resolve firmed and she opened the door to cross the white-tile to stand over the tub. Mama was oblivious and Mama's words about her and Thomas being monsters resounded in her ears as she raised the knife over Mama's head then angrily slammed it down. A fount of blood and brain flew into the air, spattered on her face and in her hair. She smiled as Mama screamed once long and loud before those hateful eyes faded and the punishing hand stopped twitching against the tub's side. 

Happily, she yanked the knife out, now, now, Mama could never take Thomas away from her. Eventually, the police would come to see why Mama hadn't been seen and they would take her body away. How was she supposed to remember her triumph when Mama's body was gone ? Cold laughter bubbled out of her throat as she eyed Mama's hair, it was past shoulder-length when down, the police would never notice a few missing locks of hair. Briefly, she dipped the bloody knife into the bathwater to clean it then gripped some of Mama's hair and chopped it off.

It took a few minutes for her to clean her face and hair. That done, she hid the hair in a chest of drawers in Mama's former room and the knife under a floorboard in the clay aquifer. When she entered the nursery she expected to find Thomas as happy as she was. Instead, he was curled up on his bed, cowering with the blanket over his head. She pulled the blanket down to touch his bare shoulder and he whimpered, flinching away from her.

Lucille frowned, "You should be happy. I did it for you, Thomas ! She can't take you away from me now." as she lay down beside him. Dark blue eyes like sapphires opened slowly, so beautiful, and that pale skin, so pretty. He was hers, all hers when she kissed him, touched him like in Mama's books. Her perfect little brother.

* * *

A few days later, Balthazar, flipping his coin over his knuckles, grinned as he watched his plan work perfectly. Fourteen-year old Lucille screamed, kicked, punched and bit as the police tried to take her away. She broke free, rushing to latch onto twelve-year old Thomas, smoothing the black hair as the boy embraced her in turn. Incest was one of his favourite ways to damn mortals, they became so dependent on each other that it was hilarious when one died because the other would immediately commit suicide in an attempt to be with the other. Really, he'd hardly had to do anything to damn the Sharpes with how botched their home life already was with Sir Michael and Lady Beatrice raising them. Again, the police peeled Lucille away from Thomas and started dragging her out.

The boy's eyes glistened with tears as he started singing:

"Let the wind blow kindly

in the sail of your dreams 

and the moon light your journey

and bring you to me."

It really was quite touching wasn't it ? Well, if that cold heart of his could care. Hmm, whomever was he going to follow now. Lucille or Thomas ? He already knew what Lucille would do, so he decided to go with Thomas to the boarding school. Of course, his plans were hindered by the presence of that nuisance Gabriel deciding to become a teacher at the same time.

* * *

Thomas lay on the cold bed, more tears falling onto the pillow. The sound of footsteps entering the dormitory, then an unfamiliar warm voice said, "Go on, James, introduce yourself."

Another set of footsteps, these moving to stand beside his bed, "Hello, Thomas, I-I'm James, James Nicholls, I'm your cousin."

Nicholls ? That was Aunt Delores's married name. Cautiously, he opened his eyes, he'd never met any of his extended family before. Just like him, James was twelve, unlike him, James's eyes were more grey than blue and his hair was blondish-brown.

He swallowed the lump in his throat and whispered, "H-hello, James. I'm Thomas, Thomas Sharpe." His eyes flickered past James to a man or was it a woman with curly reddish-blond hair in a black waist-coat and frock coat standing with his/her arms at his/her sides. "W-who are you ?"

The stranger's voice was neutral enough to be of either gender. "My name is Gabriel, child, and you are welcome to come to me with any concerns you may have no matter what of."

When he had nodded Gabriel left him and James alone. James briefly excused himself then went to one of the other beds, took something out of his trunk and came back to sit beside him. With a sniffle, he sat up, rubbed his eyes and asked, "What's that ?" of the little black leather bound book.

James opened the book to reveal that the last pages were blank then skipped back to the beginning. "I like to draw things, see that's a sparrow and that's a rabbit."

"Ooh, what's that one ? I've never seen a thing like that before." It was some great beast with lighter and darker patches of fur on its chest and short-muzzled face.

Proudly, James exclaimed, "That's Bartholomew, he's my Burmese Mountain Dog !"

The concept baffled him, "You have a dog ? Mama would never let Lucille and I have a dog."

"Yeah, he knows how to roll over and stay and fetch. He's the greatest dog ever !"

They spent hours pouring over James's drawings. Gabriel and James were the only friends he would make, as some strange curse seemed to befall those who didn't know him and kept them away. For nearly seven years, dreams, letters, James and Gabriel were his only connections to Lucille.

* * *

Lucille sighed in her bed, she had not even a day before Thomas would be home. She wanted to put her new waltzing skills to use, wanted Thomas to hold her as they danced together. Thankfully, it blurred until she had her arms around Thomas. It was queer to suddenly need him to lean down so that she could kiss him. Her eyelashes fluttered open, oh how grown-up he was, how sophisticated he looked in his top hat and waist-coat.

She murmured, "I love you, Thomas." trailing a hand down his cheek, a hint of stubble brushing against her skin.

Thomas exhaled softly, his eyes half-lidded in wonder, "I love you too, Lucille." 

A faint moan left her as his hand slid to cup her right breast. She took him up to the second floor, to her room. The pleasure of having him in what was once Mama's bed was nearly the same amount that he gave her. Once again, he was hers, all hers, only hers.

* * *

Balthazar's plan had kept unfolding smoothly. He had turned Thomas from the age of eighteen to thirty-three to seducing and Lucille from age twenty to thirty-five to murdering heiresses for their money. All in the name of love and saving Allerdale Hall, of course. Little Edith the latest wife and, if he had anything to say about it, the last wife as Thomas had just admitted to loving her. Oh here, this, this was his opportunity to damn Lucille for sure.

Again, he stood beside her ear whispering of murder, "He betrayed you, he said, he swore, that he would only ever love you. Look at him - does he look sorry ? If you let him live he'll only break your heart again."

It was glorious watching her snap, the knife slamming into Thomas's chest twice, Thomas's stumbling back before the knife entered his face through the cheekbone with maniac strength. Thomas stumbled to the old wicker chair to draw out the knife where it fell from the swiftly numbing fingers.

Gabriel fluttered in then to kick him away, "Look at what you've done, Lucille, he is dying !"

* * *

Lucille stared in horror, pulling Thomas into her arms as he struggled to breath. His eyes already starting to cloud as she lay with him on the floor, her head on his chest. Her voice shook when she sang:

"Let the wind blow kindly

in the sail of your dreams 

and the moon light your journey

and bring you to me.

We can't live in the mountains

we can't live out at sea

where oh, where oh,

my lover can I meet with thee ?"

She rushed through the song desperate to keep his heart beating, but she faltered and broke on the last syllable, sobbing. There was no pulse against her ear as she clutched him, his life was over, hers was over. It was her fault; if she had just persuaded him to keep pursuing Eunice instead he would still be alive. Eunice had been too vapid for Thomas to...to fall in love with her. If she'd just kept a closer eye on him like she should have, she'd failed him. Papa's hunting knife had ended Thomas's life and now it would end hers too.

* * *

Gabriel glared at the demon, "You will not have her, Balthazar. She will stay here in penance for what she has done."

The brown haired creature swore at him and left. Eventually, when the day of judgement came Lucille Sharpe was allowed Heaven. The first thing she did was apologize, the second was kissing Thomas. 


End file.
